Vacuum water-purification system.



0 M. CAMPBELL.

VACUUM WATER PURIFICATION SYSTEM. APPLICATION HLED JA.N.27. 1916.

Patented Aug. 27,, 1918.

OLIVER M. CAMPBELL, OF KANSAS CITY, KANSAS.

vacuum warna-runrrrcn'rron srs'rniu.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 27, 1918.

Application filed January 27, 1916. Serial No. 74,603.

To all whom it may concern:

- Be it known that I, OLIVER M. CAMPBELL, a citizen of the UnitedStates," residing at Kansas City,,-in the county of Wyandotte, State ofKansas, have invented certain new and useful 1m rovements in VacuumWater- Purification ystems, of which the following is a fulland exactspecification.

The present invention relates to water purification systems, and moreparticularly to water purifying apparatus for use in ice plants derivingtheir water supply from sources necessitating distilling or otherwisepurifying the water to render it fit for ice manufacture; and thegeneral object in view is todevise a novel and improved construction andarrangement of apparatus for eilectively and economically purifymg waterfrom sources of this character.

. In carrying out the invention, means is rovided for vaporizing thewater in the oiler from which the steam is conducted to a condenser;this condenser is profurthermore, the vacuum column is arranged videdwith suitable vacuum connections for the purpose both of removing impurevapors and of carrying the steam vapor on through additionalcondensingmeans into. a reservoir. The vacuum connections are suchas to exert thisdouble influence on the steam vapor throughout its course; and,

those features and combinations deemedto befnovel will be specified inthe appendedclaims.

.In the drawing,- the figure shown represents a view in side elevation,-and partly in section, of-fiav watergpurificationus stemconstructedi'andlarranged"in -accor ance with "the .presntiinventioniof;a" systemhaving provision for utilizing This "'drawing illustrates; thearrangement the exhaust heatfof an internal combustion bo ler. Water isconducted from asuitable e for vaporizingfthe water in the source ofsup'ply into a feed water tank 2,.

, havingv he overflowfi, and; a gage deviceii.

connected with the float 5. This tank 2 communicates through a pipe 6with a heater 7 of approved type, the coil 8 of which feeds into aboiler 9 through the pipe 10 provided with a valve 11 having-thecounter-weighted operating arm 12. The plpe 6 leads directly into thebase of the boiler where it is fitted with a valve 13, and

said pipe 6 may also be provided with a branch pipe connection 14 withthe water jacket of the internal combustion engine 15.

The heater 7 is connected with the exhaust 16 of theengine, and theoutlet 17 of the heater is led into the fire box 18 of the boiler sothat the exhaust gases of the engine are utilized first in the heater 7and thereafter in the boiler to derive the full heating effect from saidengine exhaust.

The boiler is equipped with the usual water gage 19. i

From the boiler, the steam vapor is conducted by way of a pipe 20 to acondenser 21 of the atmospheric type (i. 6., depending upontheevaporative action of the atmosphere) arranged beneath a drip pi e 22.or further heating purposes a branc pipe 23 may be led through the,stack 24 ofthe boiler, said pipe being fitted with a valve 25, and theplpe 20 being also provided with35 a valve 26. The top of the condenser21 comprises a shallow open basin for receiving the water dripping fromthe pipe 22 and I provided with the lateral openings 70 forpermitting-the Water to trickle out over the opposite sides ofthecondenser, the Waste water being collected by a drip pan 72 supportedbeneath the condenser and provided with the. drain valve 74. Theinterior of the 'condenser 21 is provided with bafiie partitions 27 forforming a zigza%passa e amber. e

through'the condenser 0 ar t e base of the condenser is connected anoutlet pipe 28 having the valve 29 and trap bend portion 30. This outletpipe leads into a double-pipe condenser comprising an exterior casing 31and cold water pipe 32' communicating with any convenient source ofwater supply. The exterior casing of this second condenser is in turnconnected by a pipe 33'with a reservoir 34 which is fitted with asightgage 35, a pressure gage 36 and an outlet pipe 37, controlled by a valve38, through which the water is drawn 011' for filling the ice cans. f ep Lead'ng into the top of the condenser 21 is a pipe 39 commumcatmg witha acu m loo casing 40 which is connected by a pipe 41 with a vacuum pump42, a pressure gage 43 being mounted in connection with the pipe 41. Thevacuum casing 40 is also provided with pipe connections 44 and 45 to theopposite ends of the exterior casing 31 of the double-pipe condenser. Apipe 46 establishes connection between the intake end of said condensercasing 31 and the condenser 21 just below the top battle partition ofthe I latter. A pipe 47 also connects the casing 40 and the reservoir34, and said pipes 44,

45 and 47 are provided, respectively, with the valves 48, 49 and 50. Thelower end of the casing 40 is connected by a pipe 51 with the base ofthe boiler 9, and a branch pipe 52 connects pipe 51 with a float chamber53 having the overflow pipe 54 and valve 55, as

well as drain outlet valve 56. Near its upper end this float chamber 53communicates with the vacuum casing 40 through the tubular connection 57and is provided with a float 58 having a stem portion 59 operatingthrough a stufiing box 60 at the upper chamber 53, the outer end of saidstem portion being connected by a flexible cord 61 (passing over pulleys62 and 63) with the valve arm 12 of the valve 11,

whereby the latter is controlled in accordance with the level of thewater in chamber 53, and which, obviously, is the same as the boilerlevel by virtue of the connection through the pipe 51. The pipes 51 and52 are equipped with the valves 64 and 65 respeotively.

A partial vacuum is maintained in the casing 40 and its immediateconnections by means of the pump 42. If the pressure in theseconnections is kept at approximately 6# gage pressure, the water willboil at approximately 170 degrees Fahr. Of course the pressure is thesame at the water surface in the boiler as in the float chamber 53 andat the base of the vacuum casing 40 because of the arrangement of pipeconnections as described, whereby a reduction in the pressure iseffected at both sides of the condensing apparatus. The water may beinitially heated to bring it to approximate boiling temperature byclosing the valves 25, 26 and 64 and opening the valve 13, therebycausing the water to circulate through merely the boiler and heater;after which the valve 13 is closed and the other valves opened. Inoperationit will. be un derstood that the valves in the various vacuumconnections are also opened. The reduced pressure through the condenseracts to draw the vapor from the boiler into the condenser, and a part ofthe vapor is of course immediately condensed in the lower half of thecondenser 21 and passes off through pipe 28. A portion of the vapor.will be drawn off through the steam suction line 46, while a smallerfraction, together with some of the impure gases generated in thecondensation process, will escape through pipe 39 into the vacuumchamber.

Further condensation takes place in the double-pipe condenser, whichfeeds into the reservoir by way of the pipe 33, during which processstill further removal of the gaseous impurities is effected by thevacuum connections 44 and 45, and a final passage for the escape of suchases is provided by means of the pipe 47'. '%hus from the boiler, wherethe first purification takes place and most of the impurities leftbehind, the-influence of the vacuum action is maintained through all thecourse of the vapor throughout the condensation process, and at everypossible stage the gaseous impurities are withdrawn until the crystalpure product finally arrives and is stored in the reservoir ready for.withdrawal through the pipe 37. A constant water level is maintained inthe boiler by the automatic action of the float 58, which opens orcloses the valve 11 as may be required for this purpose. Hence, byconnecting the vacuum side of the system with the boiler by means of awater connection on the one hand and a vacuum communication on the otherhand, a perfectly balanced system is obtained in which the water supplis automatically maintained constant and the steam vapor is producedwith a lower heat consumption by virtue of the reduced boiler'pressure,and the same vacuum action serves to remove any impure vapors generatedthroughout the course of the condensation process.

It will thus be apparent that an effective and comparatively simpleapparatus has been devised for carrying out the proposed objects of theinvention, and while the foregoing represents what is now deemed toconstitute the preferred form of embodiment of the invention, the rightis reserved to such formal changes and modifications as may fairly fallwithin the scope of the ap pended claims.

Claims:

1. The process of purifying water which consists in distilling the waterand removing the gaseous impurities from the vapor dur- .1ngcondensation by subjecting said vapor water, condensation apparatusarranged in communication with said boiling means, and

vacuum producing means provided with connections with said apparatus atvarious points corresponding to successive condensation stagesthroughout the course of said condensation.

4. A water purification system comprising, incombination, a boiler,condensation apparatus arranged in communication with said boiler, andvacuum producing means having connect-ions providing communication bothwith said boiler and with different points of said condensation'apparatus.

5QA water purification system comprising, in combination, a boiler,condensation apparatusarranged in communication with said boiler, andvacuum producing means having connections providing communication withsaid condensation apparatus and also with saidpboiler at points bothabove and belowthe normal water level therein.

6. A water purification system comprising. in combination, a boiler,condensation apparatus arranged in communication with said boller,vacuum producing means having connections providing communication withsaid apparatus at various points cor- I responding to successivecondensation stages, and means'acting automatically to maintain aconstant water level inthe boiler.

7. A water purification system comprising, in combination, a boiler,provided with a Water admission valve, a float chamber and acondensation apparatus arranged in communication with said boiler,saidfloat chamber being operatively connected with said Valve, andvacuum producing means having connections providing communication withsaid float chamber and condensation apparatus. i

8.. A water purification system comprising, in combination, a boiler,condensation apparatus arranged in communication with said boiler andprovided with a storage;

chamber, and vacuum producing means hav-- ing connections providing.communication both with said storage chamber and with difierent pointsof said condensation apparatus. I I

OLIVER M. CAMPBELL.

